Resistance welding typically involves the joining or coalescing of metals through the application of electrical current and pressure. Heat is produced by the resistance of the metal work pieces to the electrical current, which is conducted through an electrical circuit that includes the metal work pieces and welding electrodes. It should be appreciated that there are a number of different types of welding processes that could be characterized as resistance welding. Some of these resistance welding examples include, but are certainly not limited to, projection welding, spot welding, seam welding, flash welding, and upset welding.
It is possible for a weld or weldment to suffer from a defect caused during the resistance welding process. One potential cause of such a defect may involve the orientation of the welding electrodes when they contact the metal work piece surfaces in a non-perpendicular or otherwise misaligned manner. If the welding electrode end surfaces are not flush or otherwise properly aligned with the surfaces of the metal work pieces, the resulting welds may exhibit certain undesirable characteristics. For example, welds produced by misaligned welding electrodes can exhibit certain degrees of metal distortion, weakened weld integrity, expulsion, as well as aesthetic issues. Furthermore, misalignment of welding electrodes can accelerate wear-and-tear on the resistance welding equipment in the form of electrode degradation and weld cylinder damage, to name but a few possibilities.